Bunted ball contacts foot

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Jan 27, 2019
141
28
Don't know what you mean direct or pop.
She cannot hit a fouled ball in fair territory. A foul ball is in foul territory, a fair ball in fair. If she contacts the ball in foul territory the ball is dead. If a defender had an opportunity to get an out it's interference and the batter is out

If she contacts a fair ball she's out
 
Aug 1, 2019
195
43
South Carolina
So, the umpire must apply judgement here?

If it's a slap hitter, already moving forward in the box (but still in the box), fouled ball is in fair territory:
a) if she fouls (direct) the ball and makes contact, before ball contacts the ground she is not out?
b) if she fouls (pop) the ball and makes contact, before ball contacts the ground she is out?

the judgement of whether the foul was direct or pop is at the umpire's discretion?
There are two rules in play here. For example, in NFHS, the rules are 7-2-1f, which says a strike is called when "a batted ball contacts the batter in the batter's box (foul ball)", and rule 8-2-7, which says the batter-runner is out when she "makes contact with a fair batted ball before reaching first base". Other rule sets have very similar, if not verbatim, rules dealing with these two distinct situations.

So how a ball is batted (in the air, on the ground, via a bunt versus a swing, whatever) has no bearing on any calls. It is also irrelevant if the ball is in the air and never touched the ground, or it did touch the ground and bounced up, or its just lying still on the ground. None of that matters here. The only thing that matters, as I mentioned before, is if the ball contacts the batter, or the batter contacts the ball.

If the ball contacts the batter, then 7-2-1f applies. It's a foul ball if the batter is still in the batter's box. It doesn't matter if the ball was fair or foul when it contacts her. What matters is the ball hit her, almost always directly after it leaves the bat. She could have her foot on the ground in the fair portion of the box, and the ball comes off her bat and hits that foot. That's a foul ball.

Now, if the batter hits the ball and then starts running to first base, she has to avoid making contact with that ball. If she does so and the ball was in fair territory at the time, then 8-2-7 applies and she's out. Note that 8-2-7 makes no mention of the batter's box because it has no bearing on the play. She cannot contact a ball she just hit, period. And it doesn't matter if she contacts it before the ball hits the ground or she contacts it on the bounce. That also has no bearing on the call.

So, yes, there is judgment involved. The judgment is whether the ball contacted the batter or the batter contacted the ball. And if the batter contacted the ball, there's judgment whether or not the ball was in fair or foul territory.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
CHSUmp has been nailing this.

Since the OP mentioned USSSA ...

Rule 7 Batting
15199

Rule 8 Baserunning
15198


On a side note ... am I the only one who thinks that 7.5.D is horribly worded? To me, that says that any pitch with less than two strikes on the batter is a foul ball. ?????
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
If she contacts a fair ball she's out

sounds like not necessarily?

example: the front portion of a softball batter's box is in fair territory.
If a slap hitter fouls a ball in the front portion of the box (or even beyond the front box line with bat extension),
and fouls it straight back into her body (maybe a very inside pitch?) , or down to her foot - I doubt any umpire is going to call her out.
 
Jan 27, 2019
141
28
IN THE BOX! That's the key, in the box. If the contact with the ball is in the box then she is not in jeopardy. I thought we all understood that part and it did not need to be mentioned, guess I was wrong on that one.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
sounds like not necessarily?

example: the front portion of a softball batter's box is in fair territory.
If a slap hitter fouls a ball in the front portion of the box (or even beyond the front box line with bat extension),
and fouls it straight back into her body (maybe a very inside pitch?) , or down to her foot - I doubt any umpire is going to call her out.
The important difference is does she move into the ball ie. the batter contacts the ball. Or does the ball move into her ie. the ball contacts the batter.

So a ball that is hit directly to the batters foot, foul ball. A ball that is in the front of the box and the batter touches it as she is going toward first, out.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
sounds like not necessarily?

example: the front portion of a softball batter's box is in fair territory.
If a slap hitter fouls a ball in the front portion of the box (or even beyond the front box line with bat extension),
and fouls it straight back into her body (maybe a very inside pitch?) , or down to her foot - I doubt any umpire is going to call her out.

The ball hit her. Foul ball. I would hope the umpire doesn’t call her out.

I think CHS (or somebody) spelled it out, but here is an easy flow chart.

What contacted what?
1.) Ball contacted batter
a.) in the batter’s box (foul/fair does not matter) = foul ball
b.) out of the batter’s box, follow #2 below
2.) Batter contacted ball (the batter’s box does not matter)
a.) in fair territory = out
b.) in foul territory but the ball could possibly be going fair = out
c.) pop up in foul territory when the defense has a play = out
c.) in foul territory staying foul, no play = foul ball

I’m still drinking my coffee after a very busy (and brain draining) week. I hope I didn’t mess that up ...
 

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